Running Shirt with Quick Release Sleeves

ABSTRACT

A running shirt with quick release sleeves. The shirt comprises a torso portion, a pair of quick release removable sleeves, and a pair of quick release zippers, one at each sleeve.

This application claims the benefit of U.S. Patent Application No. 62/030,935, filed on Jul. 30, 2014

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates in general to running shirts.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

In certain circumstances a runner will desire to run in a timeframe where the outside, or even inside, temperature will change. This can happen in the case of a race, where the race begins in the morning when temperatures are cool or cold and continues into the day were temperatures warm and can become hot. Not only can temperatures change, but also the runners own body temperature will change and heat up during the course of a run. Therefore runner may require more clothing at the beginning of a run but less clothing later in the run.

In races, such as a marathon, runners have been known to wear old long sleeve or sweatshirts over another shirt at the beginning of a race. As the ambient air temperate rises and/or as the runner's body temperature rises, the runner takes off the long sleeve or sweatshirt and discards the long sleeve or sweatshirt on the side of the race course. Often such discarded clothing is never retrieved later by the runner. Instead the discarded shirts must be collected by volunteers and disposed of.

U.S. Pat. No. 6,298,485 discloses a cycling jersey with removable sleeves. However, the '485 patent fails to disclose the quick release zippers to allow ease of sleeve removal during use.

The present inventor recognized the need for a shirt that has removable components so as to provide more warmth at the beginning of a run, and less later when the removable components are removed. The present inventor recognized the need for an athletic shirt with removable sleeves where the sleeves can easily be removed from the shirt while the user is running and wearing the shirt. The present inventor recognized the need for sleeves that are quickly removable. The present inventor recognized the need for a shirt that provides side storage pockets for storing the sleeves during a run after the sleeves have been removed.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A running shirt with quick release sleeves is disclosed. The shirt comprises a torso portion, a pair of quick release removable sleeves, and a pair of quick release zippers, one at each sleeve. The torso has a collar, a neck opening, right arm opening, a left arm opening, and a lower trunk opening. The sleeves have a shoulder end and a distal end opposite the shoulder end.

The quick release zippers each have a slider, a first row of connecting elements, and a second row of connecting elements. The first and second rows each have a first end and a second end. The first row is longer than the second row.

The first or second row is connected adjacent to one of the arm openings or at the shoulder end of one of the sleeves, the other of the first or second row is connected to the other of one of the arm openings or at the shoulder end of the sleeve.

The slider has a first passage, a second passage, a central passage, and a junction between the first, second, and central passages. The slider is movable between the first and second ends of the first and second rows.

The slider has a quick release position where the first end of the second row being adjacent to the first row of fastener elements, and the slider is located along a quick release portion of the first row where the second row is not adjacent to the first row, and where the first and second rows can be separated without moving the slider to the first end of the first and second rows.

In some embodiments, the torso portion has a breast pocket. The breast pocket has an earphone wire aperture communicating from an exterior of the shirt to an interior of the breast pocket.

In some embodiments, the breast pocket comprises a pocket zipper for closing a pocket opening.

In some embodiments, the torso portion has a lower left pocket and a lower right pocket. The lower left pocket and lower right pocket are positioned adjacent to a bottom edge of the torso portion and about opposite side areas of the torso portion.

In some embodiments, the lower left pocket and the lower right pocket each have an opening, a drawstring, and a stopper. The stopper is releasably spring biased attached to the drawstring and movable to secure the opening in a closed position.

A method of quickly removing sleeves from a running shirt is disclosed. A slider of a zipper is moved from a closed position to a quick release position at a closing end opposite a starting end of the zipper where the slider is connected to a first row of fastener elements of the zipper and is disconnected from a second row of fastener elements of the zipper. The sleeve is pulled away from the torso portion to cause fastener elements to alternatingly disconnect from each other progressively from the closing end to the starting end without moving the slider to the starting end.

Numerous other advantages and features of the present invention will become readily apparent from the following detailed description of the invention and the embodiments thereof, from the claims, and from the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a partially exploded front view of a running shirt with quick release sleeves of the invention.

FIG. 2 is a back view of the running shirt of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged partially exploded view of a breast pocket from the running shirt of FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a front view of a portion of a quick release zipper of the running shirt of FIG. 1.

FIG. 5 is a front view of a portion of the quick release zipper of FIG. 4 with the slider in a quick release position.

FIG. 6 is a rear view of a portion of the quick release zipper of FIG. 4 in a partially closed position.

FIG. 7 is an enlarged view of a lower side pocket of the running shirt of FIG. 1.

FIG. 8 is a front view of a second embodiment running shirt of the invention.

FIG. 9 is a rear view of a second embodiment running shirt of FIG. 8.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The following description is presented to enable any person skilled in the art to make and use the invention. For the purposes of explanation, specific nomenclature is set forth to provide a plural understanding of the present invention. While this invention is susceptible of embodiment in many different forms, there are shown in the drawings, and will be described herein in detail, specific embodiments thereof with the understanding that the present disclosure is to be considered as an exemplification of the principles of the invention and is not intended to limit the invention to the specific embodiments illustrated.

FIG. 1 shows an athletic shirt 30 of the invention. In one embodiment, the athletic shirt is a running shirt. The shirt has torso portion 32, right and left sleeves 34, 36, a breast pocket 38, and right and left lower side pockets 44, 46. The torso portion 32 comprises a front panel 48, a right side panel 40, a left side panel 42, and a back panel 50. The right side panel has the lower right side pocket 44. The left side panel has the lower left side pocket 46. The right sleeve connects adjacent a right arm opening 71. The left sleeve connects adjacent a left arm opening (not shown). The torso portion of the shirt may be sized to extend to the wearer's waist or may extend below the wearer's waist.

The front panel 48 narrows inward when moving from the breast area of the shirt toward a waist area. This shape can provided a shirt that is fitted more closely to the shape of the wearer's body. The shirt 30 may comprise cotton, polyester, spandex, nylon, or a combination of the same.

The breast pocket 38 is shown on the left side of the wearer. The pocket comprises a side opening 56 that is closed by a pocket zipper 80 shown in FIG. 3. The pocket zipper is covered by a flap 58. The pocket zipper has a slider 60 for connecting and separating the opposite sides of the zipper to close or open the pocket. The pocket has a wire passage 52 in the form of a circular aperture. The wire passage allows a wire to pass from inside of the pocket to outside of the pocket. This is beneficial so that a portable music player, such as an iPod,™ or a smartphone, or other portable device can be placed in the pocket and secured there by closing the zipper, but a wire from an earbud or earphones can be threaded through the wire passage and physically connected to the portable device in the pocket. In some embodiments, the shirt has a right breast pocket that is mirror image identical to the left breast pocket 38.

The right and left sleeves 34, 36 connect to the torso portion 32 with right and left zippers 64, 66. Each zipper extends from a second end at the collar 82 on the front side of the shirt, down to the armpit area 83, and up the back side of the shirt to a first end at or adjacent the collar 82 on the back side of the shirt. Each sleeve overlaps a shoulder portion 74 of the torso portion 32. When a zipper is completely unzipped or in a quick release position, the corresponding sleeve can be completely removed from the torso portion 32.

The right and left sleeve can be sized to extend along the length of the wearer's arm from the shoulder to the wrist or past the wrist and adjacent to the wearer's thumb. The sleeves each have a shoulder end 35, 37 and a wrist end 33, 39, respectively. In some embodiments, the sleeves are short sleeves sized to extend from the shoulder to mid-bicep or to at or adjacent the elbow of the wearer.

Each of the right and left zippers 64, 66 are mirror image identical about a midsagittal plane of the wearer and therefore of the shirt, so only zipper 64 will be described. Zipper 64 comprises a slider 72, a body side fastener row 68 of fastener elements 84, 86, and a sleeve side fastener row 70 of fastener elements 88, 90. The faster rows 68, 70 may comprise cords 122, 124. The cords may be attached or integrally formed with the adjacent fabric of the torso or the sleeve, respectively.

FIGS. 4 and 5 show an enlarged view of the zipper 64. The zipper provides a quick-release arrangement, where a length of the body side fastener row 68 is shorter than a length of the sleeve side fastener row 70. In some embodiments, row 70 is shorter in length than row 68. FIG. 4 shows the slider has joined the sleeve side and body side fastener rows up to the end element 94 of the body side fastener row so that the zipper is in a closed or joined position.

FIG. 5 shows the slider passed the end element 94 of the body side fastener row so that the slider is in a quick release position. The slider is at the end element 92 of the sleeve side fastener row. The slider is in a quick release position at any position between the end element 94 and the end element 92 where the slider is disconnected from the short row, such as row 68.

The end element 92 is an enlarged round stop element that physically prevents the slider from passing. In some embodiments, the end element 92 has a width that is wider than the width of the second channel 104 so that it cannot be received completely within the second channel. In some embodiments, the end element is taller 92 than the allowable height between a top wall 101 of the slider and a bottom wall of the slider.

Once the slider has passed the end element 94, the slider is no longer holding the end element and the adjacent fasteners joined with the fasteners of the other side, therefore the sleeve may be pulled away from the torso portion 32 in the direction E causing the sleeve side fastener row to separate or be torn away from the body side fastener row in a quick fashion without the need of moving the slider all the way to the other end of the zipper in order to separate the two sides using the slider. The quick release or tear off feature is important to runners that need a quick and easy manner of removing the sleeves while wearing and running in the shirt without stopping.

FIG. 6 shows an enlarged back side view of the zipper 66. The slider 72 has a central opening 96 of the main channel 100. At an end opposite the opening 96, a wedge 98 is provided to split the main channel 100 into a first channel 102 and a second channel 104.

The slider has side boundary walls 106, 108 that open in a Y-shape adjacent the wedge to provide for the first and second channels. The wedge 98 forces the fastener elements apart when the slider is moved in the direction B of FIG. 6. The Y-shaped channel joins the fastener elements when the slider is moved in the direction A.

One exemplary type of fastener element is shown in FIG. 6. The fastener element 110 has an attachment portion that is fixed to the cord 122 or fabric, such as the fabric of the sleeve 34. A head extends from the attachment portion. The head has a male portion 112 and a female portion 114, the female portion comprising a recess.

At a starting end of fastener row 68 is a stop joiner 116. The stop joiner 116 is fixed to the end of the fastener row 70 on a first end. On an opposite lateral end of the stop joiner is a receiving recess 118. At a starting end of the fastener row 68 is fixed a start element 120. To begin zipping from the starting end when the rows 68, 70 are not joined, the slider 72 is moved down the row 70 until it is in contact with the stop joiner 116. Then the start element 120 of the row 68 is inserted into the first channel 102 and the start element 120 is moved downward until it is seated in the receiving recess 118 of the stop joiner 116. Then the slider is moved upward in the direction A causing alternating fastener elements to be physically joined. While not shown in FIG. 6, fabric may be attached to or formed with the cord 122, 124 portion adjacent the stop joiner and adjacent the start element.

The fastener elements are joined in an alternating fashion. One example joining process can be explained with elements 86, 90, 84, 88. When element 86 reaches the main channel 100, element 86 reaches a position that is substantially parallel to the side boundary wall 106.

Then the female portion of element 90 lowers onto the male portion of element 86 as element 90 reaches a position that is substantially parallel to the side boundary wall 108. Then the female portion of element 84 is lowered onto the male portion of fastener element 90 as element 84 reaches a position that is substantially parallel to the side boundary wall 106. Then the female portion of element 88 is lowered onto the male portion of fastener element 84 as element 88 reaches a position that is substantially parallel to the side boundary wall 108. This cycle repeats for each element so that the elements of the respective rows 68, 70 are joined in an alternating fashion, alternating one fastener from each side.

The fastener row 70 may be separated from fastener row 68 by moving the slider toward stop joiner 116 or by moving the slider to the quick release position and pulling the sleeve from the torso portion. In either case, the fastener elements separate. For example, the female portion of element 88 would be removed from the male portion of element 84. Then the female portion of element 84 would be removed from the male portion of element 90. Then the female portion of element 90 would be removed from the male portion of element 86. This cycle repeats for each element from the second end of the zipper toward the first end until the slider is no longer moved in the direction B in the case of moving the slider toward the stop joiner 116 or sufficient pull-away force is no longer being applied to the sleeve and/or the torso portion to separate one from the other in the case of a quick release action. Therefore, the wearer can move the slider to the quick release position and rip-away the sleeve quickly and easily in one to three seconds while wearing the shirt and running without stopping.

FIG. 7 shows the left lower side pocket 46. The pocket 44 and 46 are mirror image identical about the midsagittal plane of the wearer, therefore only pocket 46 will be described. The pocket 46 has a front side boundary 126, a back side boundary 128, and a bottom boundary 130, which may comprise threaded stitching. In some embodiments, the bottom boundary is the bottom edge 132 of the shirt. The pocket has a top opening 54. The top of the pocket panel has a compression strip 138. The compression strip extends between the top 136 and a bottom boundary 134 of the compression strip. A first end (not shown) of a first string 140 is attached to the first end 148 that comprises a portion of the front side boundary 126. The string then extends to an opening and exits through the opening. A second string is attached to the back side boundary 128 and extends through the opening. The second string and the first string extend through the stopper 144 and join to form a loop 142. The stopper has a spring loaded friction element 146. The friction element is spring biased to press the strings against an interior surface of the stopper to prevent the stopper from moving relative to the strings.

When the friction element is depressed and the string(s) is drawn in direction C and the stopper 144 is held stationary or moved in the direction D, the compression strip will compress in direction D and against the opening to restrict or close the opening. When the friction element 146 is released, the stopper will be held in position along the string(s) by the friction element and therefore can be held in a restricted or closed position to close the opening 54. The sleeves 34, 36 can be folded and placed in the respective pockets 44, 46, and the string(s) can be drawn away from the shirt and the stopper can be position to restrict or close the corresponding opening to prevent the sleeves or other contained elements from falling out of the respective pockets.

The side pockets 44, 46 are located along the side of the shirt adjacent to the flank areas or lumbar regions to the left and right of the umbilical region of a wearer's abdomen.

In some embodiment, the outer panel of the pocket comprises a mesh material comprising holes allowing air to enter and escape from the pocket. The mesh may comprise polyester, cotton, or a combination of the same.

In some embodiments, only one string is used and the compression strip has an exit adjacent to the backside boundary 128. In such an embodiment, the loop 142 is formed by looping the string back on itself. The stopper 144 may comprise rubber or silicone. The string 140 may comprise rubber, polyester, or a combination of the same. The string 140 may have a rubber core surrounded by a polyester sheath.

FIG. 8 shows a second embodiment running shirt 150. The shirt has torso portion 152, right and left sleeves 160, 162, and right and left lower side rear pockets 184, 186. The torso portion 152 comprises a front panel 154, a right side panel 156, a left side panel 158, and a back panel 185. The rights side panel 156 comprises a right front portion 153 and a right back portion 157. The left side panel 158 comprises a left front portion 155 and a left back portion 159. The right back portion 157 comprises the lower right side rear pocket 184. The left back portion 159 comprises the lower left side rear pocket 186.

The right and left sleeves 160, 162 connect to the torso portion 152 with right and left arm zippers 168, 170 in the same manner as described regarding athletic shirt 30. Zippers 168, 170 are identical to zippers 66, 64 respectively. Zippers 168, 170 extend along a slightly different path where the path of zippers 66, 64 are more curved as shown in FIG. 1 as compared to the path of zippers 168, 170 being less curved as shown in FIG. 8.

Stitching 164, 166 joins the rights side panel 156, and left side panel 158 to the front panel 154. Stitching 192, 194 joins the rights side panel 156, and left side panel 158 to the back panel 185.

The front right side portion 155 comprises a pocket 174. The pocket comprises an upper boundary 176, a lower boundary 178, an inner boundary being the stitching 166, and an opening 180. The opening extends vertically between the front right side portion 155 and the rear right side portion 157.

The each sleeve 160, 162 comprises a thumb aperture 181, 182. When the sleeve 162 extends below the wearer's wrist the wear can place the wearer's thumb through the thumb aperture. In some embodiments, the thumb aperture is a slot as shown in FIGS. 8 and 9. In some embodiments, the thumb apertures is circular as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2.

The lower right side rear pocket 184 is mirror image identical to the lower left side rear pocket 186 about a midsagittal plane of the wearer and therefore of the shirt so only pocket 184 will be described. The pocket as a lower boundary at stitching 196 of a bottom edge 198 of the torso portion 152. The pocket has an inner boundary at stitching 192. The pocket has an upper opening 188. The boundary of the upper opening is angled upward from the stitching 192 toward the boundary between the right front portion 153 and a right back portion 157. The sleeves 160, 162 can be folded or otherwise placed in the respective pockets 184, 186. The placement of the pockets 184, 186 toward the rear of the wear prevents bulging contents of the pockets from potentially interfering with the wearer's arm moments, such as when running.

From the foregoing, it will be observed that numerous variations and modifications may be effected without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. It is to be understood that no limitation with respect to the specific apparatus illustrated herein is intended or should be inferred. 

The invention claimed is:
 1. A running shirt, comprising: a fabric torso portion comprising a waist opening, a collar, a left arm opening, a right arm opening, the collar is opposite of the waist opening, the left arm opening is opposite of the right arm opening; a right sleeve; a left sleeve; a right quick release zipper for releasably joining the right sleeve to the torso portion adjacent the right arm opening; a left quick release zipper for releasably joining the left sleeve to the torso portion adjacent the left arm opening; each of the left and right quick release zippers comprise a slider, a first stop element, a second stop element, a first row of fastener elements, a second row of fastener elements, the first row of fastener elements is connected to one of the sleeves or the body adjacent the corresponding arm opening, the second row of fastener elements is connected to the other of the sleeve or the body adjacent the corresponding arm opening, the first row of fastener elements comprises a length that is longer than a length of the second rows of fastener elements; each of the first and second rows of fastener elements comprises a starting end and a terminating end, the starting end of the first row of fastener elements comprises the first stop element, the terminating end of the first row of fastener elements comprises the second stop element, the slider positionable between the first and second stop elements along the first row of fastener elements, the first and second stop elements each are sized to prevent the slider from passing the first and second stop elements, respectively; the slider has a joining portion, a first path, and a second path, the first and second paths are for receiving the first row of fasteners and the second row of fasteners respectively, when each of the first and second rows of fasteners are drawn into the first and second paths, respectively, by movement of the slider along the first and second rows of fastener elements, the joining portion causes the fasteners of the first and second fastener rows to alternatively join; each zipper comprises a quick release position where the slider is adjacent the terminating end of the first row of fastener elements and is disconnected from the second row of fastener elements, and the first and second rows of fastener elements can be disconnected by a separating force applied to the sleeve without moving the slider to the starting end of the first and second rows.
 2. The shirt of claim 1, wherein the torso portion comprises a breast pocket, the breast pocket comprises an ear phone wire aperture communicating from an exterior of the shirt to an interior of the breast pocket.
 3. The shirt of claim 2, wherein the breast pocket comprises a pocket opening and a pocket zipper for closing the pocket opening.
 4. The shirt of claim 1, wherein the torso portion comprising a lower left pocket and a lower right pocket, the lower left pocket and lower right pocket are positioned adjacent to a bottom edge of the torso portion about opposite side areas of the torso portion.
 5. The shirt of claim 4, wherein the lower left pocket and the lower right pocket each comprises an opening, a drawstring, and a stopper, the stopper is releasably spring biased attached to the drawstring and movable to secure the opening in a closed position.
 6. The shirt of claim 4, wherein the lower left pocket and the lower right pocket each comprise an opening comprising a drawstring closure.
 7. The shirt of claim 1, wherein the torso portion comprises a lower left pocket and a lower right pocket, the lower left and lower right pockets are located on a rear side of the body.
 8. The shirt of claim 1, wherein each of the left and right sleeves comprises a body end, a distal end, and a thumb aperture, the distal end is opposite the body end, the thumb aperture is located adjacent the distal end.
 9. A method of quickly removing a sleeve from a running shirt, comprising the steps of: moving a slider of a zipper, which connects a sleeve to a torso portion of the running shirt, from a closed position to a quick release position at a closing end opposite a starting end of the zipper where the slider is connected to a first row of fastener elements of the zipper and is disconnected from a second row of fastener elements of the zipper; pulling the sleeve away from the torso portion to cause fastener elements to alternatingly disconnect from each other progressively from the closing end to the starting end without moving the slider to the starting end.
 10. The method of claim 9, comprising the steps of before the step of moving a slider of a zipper from the closed position to the quick release position, placing a start end of the first rows of fastener elements in the first channel of the slider, where the other of the second row of fastener elements is already in the other of the second channel of the slider; moving the slider along the first and second rows of fastener elements from the start end to the closed position to cause the fastener elements of the first row to be alternatingly joined with fastener elements of the second row which joins the sleeve to the torso portion.
 11. The method of claim 10, wherein the step of moving the slider along the first and second rows of fastener elements from the start end to the closed position, comprises the steps of: joining a female portion of a first fastener element of the first row of fastener elements with a male portion of an adjacent second fastener element of the second row of fastener elements, wherein the adjacent second fastener element of the second row is positioned below the first fastener element of the first row; and, joining a female portion of a third fastener element of the second row with a male portion of the first fastener element of the first row, wherein the first fastener element of the first row is positioned below the third fastener element of the second row.
 12. The method of claim 11, comprising the step of joining a female portion of a fourth fastener element of the first row with a male portion of the third fastener element of the second row, wherein the third fastener element is positioned below the fourth fastener element.
 13. The method of claim 11, wherein each of the steps of joining are further defined in that the joining occurs at or adjacent to a junction between a first passage of the slider, a second passage of the slider, and a central passage of the slider, the first passage receiving fastener elements of the first row, the second passage receiving fastener elements of the second row, joined fastener elements exiting through the central passage opposite the first and second passages.
 14. The method of claim 9, wherein the step of pulling comprises the steps of: releasing a female portion of a first fastener element of the first row from a male portion of an adjacent second fastener element of the second row, wherein the adjacent second fastener element of the second row is positioned below the first fastener element of the first row; releasing a female portion of a second fastener element of the second row from a male portion of a third fastener element of the first row, wherein the third fastener element is positioned below the first fastener element.
 15. The method of claim 9, wherein the step of pulling comprises the steps of releasing female portions of fastener elements of the first row from male portions of an adjacent fastener element of the second row, and releasing female portions of fastener elements of the second row from a male portions fastener elements of the first row until the first row of fastener elements is completely disconnected from the second row of fastener elements so that the sleeve can be removed from the shirt.
 16. A running shirt, comprising: a torso portion comprising a collar, a neck opening, right arm opening, a left arm opening, and a lower trunk opening, the collar forms the neck opening, the neck opening is opposite the lower trunk opening, the right arm opening is opposite the left arm opening; at least one quick release removable sleeve releasably connectable adjacent the right or left arm opening, the sleeve comprises a shoulder end and a distal end opposite the shoulder end; a quick release zipper comprising a slider, a first row of connecting elements, and a second row of connecting elements; the first and second rows of connecting elements each comprising a first end and a second end; the first row of connecting elements being longer than the second row of connecting elements; the first or second row of connecting elements connected adjacent to one of the arm openings or at the shoulder end of the sleeve, the other of the first or second row of connecting elements is connected to the other of adjacent one of the arm openings or at the shoulder end of the sleeve; the slider having a first passage, a second passage, a central passage, and a junction between the first passage, the second passage, and the central passage; the slider is movable between the first and second ends of the first and second rows of connecting elements; the slider has a quick release position which comprises the first end of the second row being adjacent to the first row of fastener elements, and the slider is located along a quick release portion of the first row where the second row is not adjacent to the first row, and where the first and second rows can be separated without moving the slider to the first end of the first and second rows.
 17. The shirt of claim 16, wherein the torso portion comprises a breast pocket, the breast pocket comprises an ear phone wire aperture communicating from an exterior of the shirt to an interior of the breast pocket.
 18. The shirt of claim 17, wherein the breast pocket comprises a pocket opening and a pocket zipper for closing the pocket opening.
 19. The shirt of claim 16, wherein the torso portion comprises a lower left pocket and a lower right pocket, the lower left pocket and lower right pocket are positioned adjacent to the lower trunk opening of the torso portion at opposite side areas of the torso portion.
 20. The shirt of claim 19, wherein the lower left pocket and the lower right pocket each comprise an opening comprising a drawstring and a stopper, the stopper is releasably spring biased attached to the drawstring and movable to secure the opening in a closed position. 